The Los Angeles Lakers lost their season to injuries and general ineptitude weeks ago, and all that remains for them now are a handful of games and a playoff-free finish. In a sleepy matinee devoid of long-term consequences, the Lakers’ 124-123 loss to the Knicks was, in some ways, a symbol for all that has gone wrong for them — and for LeBron James in particular. Absent a bunch of injured players, the Lakers crumbled against the worst team in the league, and James, for all his ability, was more problem than solution. For the Lakers, who had seemingly hit rock bottom when they lost to the Phoenix Suns two weeks ago, it was another opportunity to rev up the backhoe and dig a little deeper. “We got real stagnant,” said Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma, who was reduced to a spectator on the court late in the game as James tried to win it by himself.

Source: New York Times March 17, 2019 23:37 UTC